How is the persona presented in Stealing and Education for Leisure? In both monologues (Education for Leisure and Stealing) Duffy uses a wide variety of literary to demonstrate how difficult and problematic life was in the 1980s. Both poems are written from the view of a young adult who finds pleasure in criminality and law breaking due to tediousness, isolation and selfishness. Both personas are presented as uneducated and ignored people who seek attention by committing rebellious actions. Duffy presents the persona as an isolated character who is tired of experiencing difficult situations and struggles that have impacted his life and have made him become a lonely and friendless person. The persona is frustrated and “sick of the world”. The …show more content…
The persona desires to obtain control and supremacy over others as he is “going to play god”. The word “play” is defined as someone who occupies himself with activity. This suggests that the persona takes life as a game in which he can do whatever he desires. This also suggests that the persona is childish and unrealistic. The statement “play god” is extremely dramatic and shows that the persona is unintelligent and self-centered. This metaphor suggests that the persona is not concerned about anyone else and would like to acquire authority and dominance over others. Duffy uses the metaphor to display that the persona over-exaggerates. This makes the reader fell unsafe and insecure. Duffy does this to display how selfish and competitive teenagers were in the 1980s. It almost sounds like the persona is happy that “children would cry in the morning”, making him look cold-hearted and unconcerned. The word cry is defined as someone who sheds tears due to distress pain or sorrow. Children usually cry when they are heartbroken or grieved. The fact that the persona would enjoy such a painful scene suggests that hints at his evil and malicious intentions, his cruelty and his unstable thoughts. The persona probably wants the children to go through pain and sorrow just like he does. This makes the reader feel sorry for the children who suffer because of the unpleasant